Even after the team shipped out a fifth of the 25-man roster, including its two best starting pitchers in Jon Lester and John Lackey, the Red Sox just keep coming up with reasons for fans to tune in after the trade deadline.

ESPN has done this shtick once already this season for SNB, airing from the right field stands at Wrigley Field as Dan Shulman and Jon Kruk called the game. Considering the possibility for disaster, that initial foray into bleacher broadcasting went remarkably smoothly. It will be interesting to see how well it goes tonight from sliiiiightly higher up.

With any luck, Cespedes will plant one into the Monster seats as a welcome note for Shulman and Kruk. That, at least, is worth watching for, because certainly the pitching matchup between Clay Buchholz and David Phelps isn’t intriguing in any way, shape, or form…

Nick is an editor and regular contributor for the Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox sections of SoB. (Despite growing up in Vermont, just a short drive from Canada, hockey never really caught on with him.) Follow him on twitter: @ndbohlen